David Twede, 47, a scientist, novelist, and fifth-generation Mormon, is managing editor of MormonThink.com, an online magazine produced largely by members of the Mormon Church that welcomes scholarly debate about the religion’s history from both critics and true believers.

This mormon blogger is in trouble because of some articles that are truthful.

On Sunday, Twede says his bishop, stake president, and two church executives brought him into Florida Mormon church offices in Orlando and interrogated him for nearly an hour about his writings, telling him, “Cease and desist, Brother Twede.”

This is how a cult works. In this group the top man (prophet) claims to talk with god and all mormons have to listen. This is one of the reasons some people have concerns about a mormon president. Can Mitt Romney think for him self (if so he has not shown it) or will he have to follow directions of the mormon leader.

“The Political Rule of the Church” and commonly referred to as “the political Manifesto.” This policy would have required LDS Church officials to obtain approval from their priesthood superiors in the church prior to taking on “any position, political or otherwise.”

So according to long standing church policy, Mitt would have gone to the prophet to get permission to run for President of The United States.

Other stories that Mr. Twede or mormon blogger published….

LDS prophet & president Heber J. Grant visited Germany and urged the members to remain in country, get along, and not cause trouble. Grant had also evacuated all non-German Mormon missionaries within a year. By the next year, German LDS leaders were known to support anti-Semitism. German LDS leader Arthur Zander was a fervent member of the Nazi Party, even to the extent of affixing notices to the LDS church door stating “Jews not welcome”.

and….

From its founding in 1830 to 1978, a decade after the civil rights movement and assassination of Martin Luther King, the LDS church refused to allow male members of African descent to hold priesthood authority.

also…

In 2008, the Mormon Church pulled out all the stops to pass Proposition 8, which was to preserve religious traditional marriage and ban same-sex unions. There is ample evidence† that LDS hierarchy called upon Mormons, even those who were not California voters, to donate often several thousands of dollars per family, to the cause of Prop 8. Hesitant members were simply and subtly reminded of their “temple covenants” which they understood as reference to the Law of Consecration, to obey, to sacrifice, and to consecrate whatever the church demanded of them. [emphasis added]

This brings us back to Mitt. Members must obey, sacrifice or consecrate whatever the church demands of them! Mitt is under the control of the church and can not be President!

“The public should be aware of what is happening within the walls of the Mormon church to those that dissent during this ‘Mormon Moment’ ” – David Twede

This is a quite misinformed article. A lot of the comments both by Mr. Twede and the author of this article were based on things taken out of context. The church itself endorses neither political party but does urge its members to be active in politics both by means of voting and running for office. How members vote and run for office is their own choice however they cannot claim political endorsements or backing from the Church.

You should get your facts straight before you post untrue information! Mormons are absolutely given free agency when it comes to politics, as well as anything else outside of the commandments and the word of wisdom! I guarantee Mitt Romeny did not have to ask his Bishop or Stake President for permission to run for President! That is preposterous! It’s a shame people want to write things containing false information just to create controversy, hatred or anger. I suggest you do a little research, not on the Internet, of the facts before posting them. Emily, you are so wrong! The Mormon church members are open to talk to anyone, anytime about their church. Why is there over 58,000 Mormon missionaries knocking on doors all over the world trying to get people to talk to them? Hmmmmm. Check your facts folks!

I lived in Utah and Idaho for 12 years. I went to high school and university there. I had LDS friends, nonLDS friends, excommunicated friends, so called Jackmormon friends and the regular run of Catholics and so forth. I lived in Logan which is 99% pure and SLC which was about 50% then. The mormon church has a huge hierarchy with a large lay structure. They have church activities every day if you wish to be part of your community. They encourage a constant discussion of how to behave and live within their faith. They definitely bear witness and testimony and discuss the actions of others as to the degree of faith–they constantly examine their faith in themselves and others. They wish to be seen as normal, just another religion, albeit the best one, most true one. They believe every soul could be saved and have the most active missionary program in the world. They definitely seek monetary support from members and will help you with your budgeting and accounting. They encourage all members to seek and follow the advice of their elders on any particular issue. They cherish their rituals and rites and prefer to keep some things sacredly private. They fear exposure and ridicule from the outside and protect much of their decision making process. They prefer the paternal and patriarchal model of family and business though they espouse the female as equally important and talk about team work. But gender roles and most other roles are clearly defined. They believe in modern prophecy and will change their theology to match legal and prevailing culture as they wish to succeed and become the dominant church as part of their good work of saving every soul.

Whether you see this is as stifling, oppressive, liberating, or cloistering is not what I am going to discuss here. I will say they have much in common with other what I would call fundamental cultural religions where one’s theology should be the guiding light of every thought and action in your day and night.

From my perspective, as a freethinker nonmormon, I was glad to leave when I could and would not go back.

I would be happy to be more harsh but prefer to resist baiting trolls.

The moment he joined the church, he is fully aware of his duties and responsibilities as well as his limitations. Do what you have and must do but stay within boundaries to avoid any negative public reactions.

“…he is fully aware of his duties and responsibilities as well as his limitations. ”
So…it is all his fault? Is that what you are saying?

“Do what you have and just do but…”
Say what?

“…stay within boundaries to avoid any negative public reactions.”
He published the truth and did not have negative public relations. The negative reaction is from the people that are trying to hide facts.

Hey There Skepticmoney,
This question may be a little off-topic, Five Newark schools are getting $21.9 million of the $45 million in School Improvement Grants that the federal government is sending to New Jersey. The money goes to those with worthy plans for rehabilitating schools that year after year after year fail to provide most kids with a decent education.
I’m sure a lot of people greeted that news with moans and groans about good money thrown after what’s already been wasted. I’m not yet ready to join the skeptics. I do have questions about just what the money is supposed to buy, particularly since the effort to rehabilitate comes at a time when state education cuts are going to make the job harder.
The grants cover three years and are going to 12 New Jersey schools, including Newark’s Shabazz and Central High schools, Renaissance Academy, an alternative education program, West Kinney Alternative, a vocational school, and Dayton Street Elementary. That comes to a bit more than $1 million a year per school. How far is that going to go?

School spending can be a tough issue especially if one doesn’t know the specifics which I don’t in NJ. Generally, money in education is the issue. While some, notably Michele Rhee (sp?), insist that its teachers, process, and unions that count and not money; yet her shining examples of successful charter schools that work have more money, even her Harlem example.

My wife has recently taken a Jr High teaching job in what’s considered a difficult school. What she sees in what is considered the wildest class in school memory is the absolute inability for this class’s students to maintain any kind of self control.

The students know-believe they are the losers, the bad ones, the impossible to educate. They are the rejects of the school system relegated to this standard class. They don’t care about detention, they don’t care about summer school, they don’t care if they repeat grade levels. They have given up that they can succeed because they have heard they are impossible so often they believe it so why try.

The reaction she gets in relating this is often there should be corporal punishment or more severe punishment possible. How is a beating supposed to improve morale and open minds? She calls parents now nearly every night to get some parental support. The parents are also blind. They see their children as problems but they see the school as even a greater problem. They don’t see themselves as being responsible as parents for their children’s education. These parents often accept their kids stories that teachers offer boring books, my wife has them reading the Lightning Thief, or that teachers don’t care, my wife is spending all of class disciplining rather than teaching. She has tried a number of curricula devices to motivate interest and make the steps small enough to encourage success.

From my husband perspective I hear two big things. Material issues like having money for school books, money for class room space, money for support materials, and even money for computers that actually work combined with too many students per teacher is a vast problem. Two, parental apathy where parents assume all of an education is the school’s responsibility.

Michelle pushes back against this and insists that schools will have to grow like institutions with huge buildings and larger classes to deal with fiscal reality. Culling ineffectual teachers will instill fear in the others to perform more and generate larger classes as well. Everything I hear and read says this is bullshit.

I hear stories of bad teachers that can’t be fired but frankly that number is small and our many teacher friends bemoan the long hours, psychological torment, and low wages. Many teachers do it because they love teaching and quit because there isn’t enough monetary and parental support and mostly because they get too damned depressed to go on.

The depression rate in teachers now is so high because of the “toxic workplace” insurance companies are trying to exclude covering it. Long term disability from depression is a third higher than other careers. The education wars are targeting the wrong inputs.